Corn husker and shredder.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

w. GUTENKUNYST. 001m HUSKER AND SHREDDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23. 1902.

2 snETs-sHEnT 1.

N0 MODEL.

A fl di q UNITED STATES iatented August 25, 190?.

PATENT OFFICE.

CORN HUSKER AN D SHREDDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 7 36,961, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed January 23, 1902. $erial No. 90,872. (No model-J T aZZwhom, itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GUTENKUNST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Corn Huskers and Shredders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn huskers and shredders, andit pertains more especially to the peculiar construction and location ofthe revoluble cylindrical screen within the discharge-duct of thehusker, between the husker and the fan-closing case, and the relativearrangement of such parts to each other, whereby a section of thedischarge-duct through which the stalks are led to the stacker serves asa screen-inclosing case and the same fan which is used to elevate thestalks is also employed to clean the shelled corn as it escapes from thescreen.

My invention is further explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view showing a device forelevating the shelled corn in section. Fig. 2 is a top view. Fig. 3 is atransverse section drawn on line a; m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal vertical section drawn on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is arear View, and Fig. 6 is a front view, of the cylindrical screen and itsinclosing case as such parts appear when disconnected from the huskerand the fan-case.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

1 represents a cylindrical screen, which is preferably conical in shape,converging slightly toward its front end. The screen 1 is supported atits respective ends in the inclosing case 2, which forms asection of thedischarge-duct of the husker, upon the rollers 3, which rollers are inturn supported from the annular collars 12 12 upon the pins or trunnions14:. The screen-inclosing case 2 is also conical in shape, conformingsubstantially to the shape of the screen 1. This case is rigidlyconnected at its rear end with the discharge end 4: of the husker properand at its front end with a fan-case 5 by bolts or other equivalentmeans.

6 represents the discharge-duct through which the shredded stalks fromwhich the corn has been separated are conducted to the place of deposit.

7 is a fan of ordinary construction, to which motion is communicatedfrom'one of the operating-shafts of the machine through the belt 8,pulley 9, and shaft 10.

The rollers 3 are preferably provided with grooves 11, formed in theirperipheries, for the reception of the peripheries of the annular flanges15 15, one of which flanges 15 is secured at the front and one at therear end of said revoluble screen. A rotary movement is communicated tothe screen 1 from an operative pulley of the husker proper through thesprocket-chain 1o, pulley 17, shaft 18, pinion 19, and gear 20, whichgear consists of an annular ring provided upon one side with gear-teethmeshing with the teeth of said pinion 19, said annular gear being openat its centerand rigidly affixed to the walls of said cylindricalscreen, whereby as said pinion 19 is revolved a rotary movement iscommunicated to said cylindrical screen.

To facilitate conveying the shredded stalks and such shelled corn asisdischarged into the screen forwardly or toward the discharge endthereof, said screen is preferably provided with spiral flanges 21,which as said screen is revolved have a tendency to distribute theshelled corn uniformly over its entire surface and facilitate itspassage through the apertures 22 therein, while they prevent the cornfrom being drawn by the air-blast into the fan-case. The shredded stalksare drawn by the action of the fan 7 into the case 5, when they areforced therefrom by a current of air out through the discharge-duct 6 inthe ordinary manner, while the corn which is screened out from thestalks dropsof its own gravity into the troughs 23 and 24, which troughsincline downwardly toward each other in such a manner that the corndeposited thereon will pass of its own gravity therefrom into thecentral trough 25, and from thence it passes of its own gravity into theelevator-case 26, when it is elevated by a series of buckets 27, whichare supported from a sprocket-chain 28, the sprocket-chain 28, with thebuckets 27, being in turn supported from the inclosing case 26 by theshafts 29 29 and pulleys 30 30. As the buckets 27 pass over the upperpulley 30 their contents are discharged from the inclosing case throughthe spout 31 into a sack or other receptacle which may be suspendedtherefrom. The case 26, with itsinclosingmechanism, is supported fromthe frame of the husker by the brackets or arms 32 or in any otherequivalent manner.

It will of course be understood that by the rotation of the fan 7 apartial vacuum is formed within the case 2, whereby not only theshredded stalks are drawn forward into the fan-case 5, but a strongcurrent of air is drawn into said case through the opening 33 beneaththe center of the cylindrical screen, whereby the dust and all fineforeign substances which pass through the perforations of the screen aredrawn up into the fan-case and discharged therefrom with the stalks.Motion is communicated to the set of elevator-buckets and connectingparts located in the case 26 from an operatingpulley of the machinethrough the belt 34, shaft 29, and pulley 36.

While I have shown and described means for separating the dust and otherforeign substances from the corn which has been separated from thestalks by vacuumpressure and have also shown and described means forelevating the shelled corn when thus separated and depositing it in areceptacle therefor and while I purpose to use such devices inconnection with my cylindrical screen, substantially as shown, I do notlimit my present invention to the use of such devices for removing thedust or elevating the corn in connection with the revoluble cylindricalscreen, as said cylindrical screen may be used the corn which has beenseparated. The

mechanism shown and described for separating the dust from the shelledcorn by vacuum-pressure and the device for elevating such corn form thesubject-matter of a separate application for a patent bearing even dateherewith.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the discharge-duct of a corn husker and shredderwhich communicates between the husker and fan of a revoluble cylindricalscreen, located in said duct between said husker and fan.

2. The combination with the discharge-duct of a corn husker and shredderwhich communicates between the husker and fan of a revoluble cylindricalscreen located in said duct between the husker and fan, an elevator forelevating shell-corn from which dust has been separated, a ductcommunicating from the screen-inclosing case with the interior of saidelevator, a discharge-spout located at the upper or'discharge end ofsaid elevator, and means for communicating motion from an operativeshaft of the husker and shredder to said elevator, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

WVILLIAM GUTENKUNST.

Witnesses: CHAS. Q. GUTENKUNST, J As. B. ERWIN.

